The Butler, Babysitting
by kuroshitsuji-squiffy
Summary: AU in which Vincent is alive and Ciel is four years old. When Vincent has to go to London on a mission for the Queen, he leaves his demon butler to babysit Ciel. There's just one problem; Sebastian hates children. Or does he? Fluff!
1. Chapter 1

Hello! I'm back with another Kuroshitsuji story!

 **This is just a random idea I had. In this story, Vincent is alive and he is the one who made the contract with Sebastian. Ciel is four years old.**

 **There will be four chapters! Ignore any historical inaccuracies etc, I purely wrote this for fun and fluff!**

 **I apologise for how mean I make Sebastian sound in this chapter, but there is a point to this story :-)**

 **Also, I misspell Sebastian's name throughout this chapter but it's not an error, it's to show Ciel's pronunciation of it.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **I don't own Kuroshitsuji or any of these characters.**

 **~princess**

"Sebastian, I'm going to London on urgent business," said Vincent Phantomhive. "I will be there for a few days; a week, at most."

Sebastian nodded. "Am I to accompany you?"

"No," said Vincent. "If you don't mind, I want you to stay here and take care of Ciel."

Sebastian's eyebrow twitched, but he forced a smile. "Of course, I would be happy to."

Sebastian had had no experience with children; he disliked them, and avoided them whenever he could. He couldn't stand their piercing screams and how they seemed to have no control over themselves. Ciel, his master's four year old son, was the same. He cried all the time; it annoyed Sebastian how his master was nearly always woken at night by Ciel's wails, and it took a long time to get Ciel back to sleep. Ciel was also a brat, and Sebastian had to force himself not to slap the child when he threw a fit at Vincent because the earl wouldn't give him sweets. Ciel frequently had accidents and was sick, and it almost made Sebastian himself sick to see it. Luckily, the butler had almost no contact with Ciel; Vincent took care of him, and Mey-Rin cleaned up after him. Sometimes Ciel would tug on Sebastian's tailcoat inquisitively or gaze up at Sebastian with his huge blue eyes, but Sebastian would remove his clothing from the baby's fingers and politely tell him to go and play with his father.

"I know you haven't really spent much time with him before but I'm sure you can handle him," continued Vincent.

"May I ask- is it not at all possible to have one of the other servants do it?"

"I'm afraid not." Vincent shook his head. "Mey-Rin is good enough with children but she's clumsy and incompetent and besides, she's far too busy with her jobs as the maid. Finny is kind and gentle, but he could easily crush Ciel with his strength and he can be careless sometimes. As for Baldroy, I really wouldn't trust him to take proper care of a child. There is no time to look for a babysitter to I must ask you, Sebastian, to fulfil the role."

Sebastian bowed. "I will do my utmost."

"You shouldn't have any trouble. You'll need to play with him and see to his meals, but of course Baldroy will help with that. He does require nappies at night, the trauma he experienced…causes him to have accidents sometimes. Also, he may have a bad dream or become distressed during the night in which case you will need to comfort him. I usually rock him, that sends him to sleep."

"I will do as you say. When do you leave?"

"Early tomorrow morning. I'll say goodbye to Ciel tonight."

Ciel wasn't disturbed that night, so Vincent got a good night's sleep. The child was still asleep when he was ready to leave and he didn't want to wake him up, so he said goodbye to the other servants and to Sebastian and went on his way.

Sebastian's heart sank as he bid his master farewell. He really wasn't looking forward to taking care of that little brat.

"Keep my baby safe!" called Vincent, waving as the carriage departed from the manor.

Sebastian raised his hand. Once the carriage was out of sight, he sighed and went back into the manor.

Two hours later:

" _I suppose I must wake the little master up now_ ," frowned Sebastian, checking his watch.

Having prepared the baby's breakfast, he put it on the cart and wheeled it to the nursery. He opened the door and entered the unfamiliar room.

Ciel was curled up in his cot in the corner, his thumb in his mouth. A stuffed lamb was in his other hand and his blue-grey hair was tousled. His eyes were closed and his tiny body moved up and down as he breathed deeply.

Sebastian knew that this kind of image was what typical humans thought of as 'cute', but the demon only felt distaste and even an urge to hurt the defenceless baby. He smirked at the thought, but pushed it out of his mind and leaned down to awaken Ciel.

As he gently shook the child, Ciel's big blue eyes slowly opened and he sat up, pulling his thumb from his mouth and yawning.

"Good morning, young master," said Sebastian. He hadn't been sure how to address him; 'Ciel' was too familiar, but he couldn't call him 'master', for that was Vincent's title. So he had finally settled on 'young master'.

Ciel gazed at the demon in confusion. "Butler…?"

"Yes, it's me," said Sebastian. "Your father isn't here for some days, so I will be looking after you."

"Seb…astan!"

Sebastian chuckled. "Not quite. Say 'seb-as-tee-an'."

Ciel frowned in concentration as he shoved his thumb back in his mouth. "Sebasteen."

"Almost, young master," praised the butler. "Now, I have a bowl of porridge for your breakfast this morning. Shall we get you dressed so you can eat it?"

Ciel nodded and scrambled to his feet, raising his arms.

At first, Sebastian was unsure what the baby wanted, but he quickly realised that Ciel was too small to get out of the cot on his own. Reluctantly, he leaned down and lifted him up. Ciel clung onto him; it was a dizzying height for a child.

Sebastian bent down and placed Ciel on the floor, then fetched some clothing from the wardrobe. He kneeled down and unbuttoned Ciel's sleepshirt, almost flinching when he saw the nappy.

He had forgotten about that.

Supressing a groan, Sebastian unpinned the nappy and, grimacing at the smell, discarded it into the bin. He then dressed Ciel in his normal daytime clothes.

"Now, where do you normally eat your breakfast?" enquired Sebastian.

Ciel stared at Sebastian like he was stupid. "Here!" He pointed to a small table and chair in a corner of the room.

"Ah, of course. Would you like to go and sit down?"

Ciel toddled over and sat down. Sebastian placed the bowl of porridge in front of him, and handed him the spoon. He also gave him a cup of fruit juice.

There was a short silence. Then: "Would you please eat your breakfast, young master?"

"No."

Sebastian's eye twitched in annoyance. "Why not?" The demon tried to keep the anger out of his voice.

"No." Ciel was starting to fuss.

Sebastian sighed and kneeled down. "Young master, you need to eat so you can grow. Don't you want to be big and tall like your father?"

"No, I want to be big and tall like you, Sebas…tan!"

Sebastian was unsure how to take that. It seemed to be a compliment, so the butler cracked a small smile. "Then you need to eat, little one."

Ciel shook his head.

Trying a different approach, Sebastian picked up the spoon and scooped up some porridge, then put it to his mouth and swallowed it. Being a demon, human food actually had no flavour to him, but he pretended to love it. "Mmm!" he said in delight, licking his lips.

Ciel gazed at him uncertainly.

Sebastian took another spoonful, shoving it into his mouth and beaming.

After the third spoonful, Ciel lost it. "Nooo!" he wailed. "That's my breakfast!"

Sebastian put on an astonished expression. "Oh? But you said you didn't want it?"

Ciel pulled the spoon from the butler's hand and began to eat quickly, as if he was trying to finish it all before Sebastian could steal any more. The porridge was soon all gone and Ciel snatched up the cup of juice, downing it in seconds.

Sebastian smirked at his success at getting the baby to eat, but then frowned as he realised another problem. Ciel now had porridge and juice on his face and clothes.

"What a messy child," he sighed, wiping at Ciel's face with a damp cloth. "I shall have to send that shirt to be cleaned, or the stain will never come out."

He changed Ciel's shirt and shoved the dirty one into a bag, ready to send to the cleaners'. "Now, young master, what would you like to do?"

"Play."

Sebastian was a demon and a butler. Playing wasn't something he did often.

"What would you like to play?"

"Catch me if you can!" Before Sebastian could react, Ciel had rushed out of the room.

Blinking in surprise, the butler hurried to catch the child. He didn't know which direction he had gone in until Ciel poked his head round the wall to the right to Sebastian. Sebastian spun round and sprinted round the corner after the giggling Ciel.

Knowing that it was supposed to be a game, Sebastian slowed down and didn't use his full speed; if he did, he would catch the child in seconds with his much longer legs. So he let the chase continue for a few minutes.

When Ciel began to slow down, Sebastian dived forwards and picked him up. Ciel squealed in surprise as his feet left the ground, then laughed loudly as Sebastian tickled him. He squirmed and thrashed in the demon's hold, his bright smile and adorable giggles even making Sebastian smile back. After a few moments, the child asked him to stop and Sebastian stopped immediately, leaning down to place him back on his feet.

 _'Did I really just play with a child? My master's four year old toddler, of all children_?' thought Sebastian. He was distracted from his thoughts by Ciel tugging at his trousers, and he looked down at the small boy. "Hmm?"

"Now you run!" Ciel pushed at Sebastian with his tiny hands. "I catch you!"

Sebastian sighed, but ran away down the corridor, hearing Ciel's pattering feet behind him. He ignored Mey-Rin's astonished look as he passed her, instead wondering when to stop.

When he heard Ciel's breathing become a little ragged, he slowed down enough for the child to catch up easily. Ciel leapt onto him and 'tackled' him to the ground, then scratched at the butler's tummy with his hands. "Your turn Sebastan!"

Sebastian smirked, pushing the child away. "I'm afraid I'm not ticklish," he said.

"Really?" Ciel pouted.

"No…but you are!" Sebastian scooped up the baby and tickled his tummy, making Ciel squeak and giggle.

"All right, playtime's over now," said Sebastian, releasing Ciel from his grip and standing up.

"No!" Ciel glared at Sebastian.

"Yes!" _'I may have just been playing with him, but I only did so because my master requested it. I still can't stand children, especially this annoying little brat_.'

Ciel stamped his foot and folded his arms. "Play with me longer!"

"I have work to do."

"No you don't!" Ciel reached up and grabbed Sebastian's sleeve, trying to pull the butler to him like a dog.

With a snarl, Sebastian snatched Ciel up and marched to the nursery. Ciel whimpered and trembled in his hold. He placed the child down and took some paper and pens from the drawer, slamming them onto the table. "Enough! I'm going to prepare lunch and I don't want to hear a sound from you."

The demon left the room, hearing Ciel burst into tears but ignoring the little boy.

Half an hour later:

As Sebastian dusted books in the library, his mind drifted back to Ciel. Had he been too harsh on Ciel? In his defence, the brat had thrown a temper tantrum…but was ignoring a baby's cries ever justifiable?

Sebastian gritted his teeth and continued to work, but he couldn't rid of the feeling of a guilt that only increased. How was it that he was feeling guilt for mistreatment of a child? If anything, it should make him happy.

At last, Sebastian threw his duster down and strode upstairs to the nursery. Ciel was asleep on the floor, his cheeks flushed and tear stained. The paper Sebastian had given to him was on the floor a short distance away, covered in red scribbles.

With a sigh, Sebastian crouched down and lifted Ciel up.

The child's blue eyes fluttered open. Instantly he tried to wriggle out of Sebastian's hold, tears threatening to spill out again.

"Young master, please stay still."

Ciel sniffled and ignored Sebastian, continuing to struggle.

"Young master, please listen to me…I'm sorry."

Ciel stopped squirming and gazed up at Sebastian, as the butler sat down on the table and placed the child in his lap. "It was wrong of me to treat you so harshly. I'm sorry for making you cry."

Ciel, who had been terrified of Sebastian a few moments ago, now held just as much trust for the butler as he had earlier that day when they were playing. He smiled at Sebastian, sucking on his thumb.

"However, it was rather naughty of you to be so demanding," continued Sebastian. "I simply don't have time to spend all day playing and you must understand that."

Ciel frowned and nodded slowly. "I'm sorry…" he mumbled through his thumb.

"That's all right. Would you like me to bring your lunch upstairs?"

Ciel nodded, and Sebastian placed the baby in his chair and walked downstairs. He returned with a sandwich, strawberries and a chocolate chip cookie.

"There you are." Placing the food down on the table, he stood back to allow Ciel to eat.

Ciel stuck out his bottom lip and pointing at the sandwich. "You didn't cut it properly!"

"What's the problem, young master?" Sebastian bristled.

"I want it in quarters! It has to be in four pieces!"

Sebastian sighed heavily. "Why?"

Ciel gave an adorable smile. "Because I'm four!"

Supressing a chuckle- he couldn't find the child cute or funny, that would be preposterous- Sebastian took the sandwich downstairs and cut it again. When he brought it back up, Ciel had eaten the cookie.

"Young master! You mustn't eat treats before your main meal," scolded Sebastian. "Eat the sandwich immediately."

"I'm not hungry!"

Sebastian groaned and covered his face with his hands. _'Is the child always this difficult to feed? How does Vincent put up with it_?'

"All right then," said Sebastian with a smile, picking up the plate. "I'll take your lunch away and since the young master clearly won't be hungry later either, I won't make any more meals today."

"NO!" fussed Ciel. "I want my sandwich!"

Raising an eyebrow, Sebastian put the plate back down and smirked as Ciel devoured the sandwich. However, he frowned when the child pushed away the bowl of strawberries.

"Young master, you must eat your strawberries. They're very good for you."

Ciel smiled innocently up at the demon. "I will if Sebastan feeds me!"

Sebastian kneeled down and picked up one of the strawberries, grimacing slightly as he placed it in the baby's mouth. _'How revolting_ ,' he thought, as Ciel loudly chewed the strawberry.

They repeated the process until the strawberries were all gone and Sebastian smiled triumphantly. That was the second time today he had successfully persuaded Ciel to eat. _'I may detest children, but I can still force them to bend to my will_ ,' thought the demon, going up a little in his own estimation.

"Right, what do you want to do now?" sighed Sebastian, checking his watch. Babysitting the brat was harder than he had thought.

"Daddy says I have to go outside every day because I have bad lungs and the fresh air is good," babbled Ciel.

 _'Ah yes, I remember Vincent mentioning the child's asthma_.' Out loud, he said, "That sounds wonderful. Let's go out to the garden, shall we?"

Ciel raced outside, ignoring Sebastian's calls for him to slow down. Hissing in annoyance, Sebastian shut the front door behind them and ran to catch the child.

"All right, calm down," said Sebastian, throwing Ciel into the air and catching him, making the baby squeak in excitement. The demon felt a twinge of embarrassment as he did so. What would people think if they saw him playing with this child?

"Let's play hide and seek!" said Ciel, pulling on Sebastian's tailcoat. "Count to fifty, Sebastan!"

"Very well." Sebastian closed his eyes and began to count, hearing Ciel laugh and rush off.

"Ready or not, here I come!" called the butler, opening his eyes. Due to his demonic powers, he knew exactly where Ciel was- in his 'den' in the bushes. Such a predictable hiding place. To humour the child and let him think he was winning, Sebastian wandered around for a few minutes before going straight to the bushes.

"Found you!" he said, snatching Ciel up and holding him upside down as he walked to the starting place. Ciel giggled hysterically.

"Now I count to fifty," said the child as he was put back on his feet. He closed his eyes and started to count.

Sebastian wondered where to hide. If he hid somewhere too obscure, it could take Ciel all day to find him. Then again, being 6'1", there weren't many places for him to hide.

He eventually settled for standing behind a large bush. It would give Ciel a bit of a hunt, but the child could find him without too much difficulty.

Sure enough, five minutes later he heard the pattering of small feet, and Ciel beamed as he pointed at Sebastian. "Found you!"

It was Ciel's turn to hide again, and when Sebastian opened his eyes after counting, he focused and sensed where Ciel was hiding. A horrified expression appeared on his face. Ciel was hiding up the apple tree!

 _'How did that tiny child even get up there_?' thought Sebastian frantically, as he raced to the tree. Peering up into the branches, he was correct; Ciel was perched dangerously on quite a high branch.

"Young master! Get down this instant!" called Sebastian.

Ciel jumped. Feeling a little scared of the butler's angry voice, he began to climb down. After a moment or two, he stopped.

"Come on, young master!" Sebastian's anxiety was increasing. Much to his confusion, he wasn't thinking about how angry Vincent would be if Ciel was hurt; instead, his thoughts were full of genuine concern for the child. There was no time to puzzle over that, however, because Ciel had started crying. "What's wrong?"

"I can't get down," sobbed Ciel.

Full of despair, Sebastian climbed the tree a little way and gently encouraged the child. "It's all right little one, you can do it…here, put your feet on this branch." He guided Ciel's feet and hands until the small boy was close enough for him to reach. Then, he picked Ciel up with one arm and held the baby tightly as he climbed back down the tree.

"I think that's enough playing outside for one day," said Sebastian, looking gently down at the child in his arms. "Are you injured, young master?"

Ciel shook his head, still clinging onto Sebastian. "Thank you for helping me…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry that this chapter is shorter than the last one!**

 **Thank you for the reviews :-)**

 **I don't own Kuroshitsuji or these characters.**

 **~princess**

"It's naptime," suddenly said Ciel, raising his big blue eyes to Sebastian's red ones.

"Is it?"

"Yes." Ciel gave a little yawn, showing his teeth. Sebastian noticed that he was missing quite a few. 'How adorable.'

"Let's get you to bed, then." As he walked back into the manor, Sebastian bounced Ciel in his arms very gently, enough to soothe the child to sleep. Ciel's eyes closed and his grip on Sebastian's shirt loosened.

However, he was abruptly awoken when Finny walked past and loudly cooed over him.

"Aww, are you taking care of the little master?" asked the gardener, squishing Ciel's cheeks. The baby murmured sleepily, blinking his big blue eyes at Finny.

"Yes, and I would appreciate it if you refrained from disturbing him. I'd just got him to sleep," said Sebastian firmly, hoisting Ciel up a little, out of Finny's reach.

"I never knew you were so good with children," said Finny, his eyes wide. "Okay, Sebastian. It's time for his nap, right?"

"It is indeed." Sebastian continued walking, gently bouncing Ciel again. The child drifted off to sleep once more, quickly becoming heavier in Sebastian's arms. His head rested against the butler's and Sebastian could hear him murmuring in his sleep and snoring a little. The demon's cold heart melted slightly.

Upon reaching the nursery, Sebastian softly placed Ciel down in his cot, tucking him in and putting the stuffed lamb in the child's arms. He then left the room, closing the door, and went to prepare tea.

 _Two hours later:_

When Ciel woke up, he was in his cot again and Sebastian wasn't there.

"Sebastan!" called the little boy, before shoving his thumb in his mouth.

Sebastian entered the nursery immediately. "Ah, I see you've woken up. Is anything wrong?"

Ciel sucked on his thumb, innocently gazing at the butler with his melting blue eyes. "Hungry."

"You're hungry? That's not a problem, I have just finished preparing your tea. I'll bring it up at once."

Sebastian left the room. When he returned, he put the bowl of pasta on the table and lifted Ciel out of his cot, sitting the child down.

Ciel began to eat, but Sebastian frowned as some sauce fell off his spoon onto the table. He didn't want a repeat of breakfast time.

"Young master, may I assist you?" asked Sebastian politely, kneeling down and firmly prising the spoon from Ciel's tiny fingers. He scooped some pasta onto it and held it to Ciel's mouth. "Now, say 'ahh'…"

Soon, the pasta was all gone.

Ciel smiled and Sebastian glanced at the nursery clock. "Young master, it is nearly bedtime. First, I must give you a bath."

Relieved when the baby didn't throw a tantrum, Sebastian got up and went to the little bathroom next door. He made sure to get the temperature of the water just right and then left the bath to run.

Ciel was rummaging in the cupboard, and beamed when he pulled out his box of bath toys.

"There are quite a lot in there," observed Sebastian, leaning down. "Would you like to select two?"

Ciel nodded and pulled out a rubber duck and a boat. Meanwhile, Sebastian prepared the towels.

The bath was filled to the right level, so the butler turned off the water and took Ciel into the bathroom. He undressed the child, tossed his clothes aside and lifted him into the bath.

Ciel behaved well as Sebastian washed him, playing with his toys and not really paying a lot of attention. Finally, Sebastian washed his thick, blue-grey hair.

"Well done, young master," said the demon, lifting Ciel out of the bath and kneeling down to dry him. ' _How small this child is_ ,' he thought, as he wrapped a towel around Ciel and carried him back to the bedroom. ' _He doesn't seem to have grown since I met his father. One would not think that he is four years old. Two, perhaps_.'

Once Ciel was dressed in his sleepshirt, it appeared that he was ready for bed. Just as Sebastian was bending down to lift him into the cot, he dashed off. Startled, the butler straightened up and followed him out of the room. "Young master!" he snapped, catching up with the boy easily and snatching him up. "What are you doing? It's bedtime, not playtime."

Ciel squirmed and struggled. "NO!" he yelled, slapping the butler's face with his tiny hands.

"YOUNG MASTER!" Sebastian was on the verge of losing his temper as he grabbed Ciel's hands, tightening his grip on the child to keep him still. He fought to keep himself under control; if he did become angry, Ciel would be in serious danger. "Stop this behaviour at once!"

"I don't want to go to bed," whined Ciel, continuing to wriggle.

"Tough." Sebastian marched back into the nursery and firmly placed Ciel in his cot. Ciel jumped up and tried to get out, but the sides of the cot were too high. The child stood holding onto the bars.

"Lie down at once and go to sleep," said Sebastian sternly.

Ciel sniffled and widened his blue eyes.

"What is it?" Sebastian kneeled down.

"I'm sorry." Tears were threatening to spill from Ciel's eyes.

With a sigh, the butler lifted him from the cot and held him in his arms.

"I was naughty," mumbled Ciel, staring at Sebastian.

"You were, rather," said Sebastian, holding the child closer to him, cuddling him a little. "But you apologised and you know you did wrong, so it's all right. I forgive you."

"Really?" Ciel's voice was soft and pitiful and Sebastian couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Yes, I forgive you," assured Sebastian, kissing the baby's head. "Now, will you go to sleep like a good child?"

"I can't sleep," murmured Ciel, gazing at Sebastian unblinkingly with those ocean blue eyes.

"I think you can," gently encouraged the demon.

"Can you read me a story?"

Admittedly, playing with the child had been quite fun. And getting him to eat his meals was quite an entertaining challenge. But reading bedtime stories? Sebastian was a demon butler, not a nanny. He drew the line at that.

But Ciel's enormous blue eyes kept gazing at him. The child's tousled blue-grey hair looked silky soft, and the expression on his face was sleepy yet determined. He was a tiny, warm weight in Sebastian's arms, clinging onto the butler's shirt with both hands. How could he refuse him?

Almost hypnotically, Sebastian lowered Ciel into his cot. "All right, what story would you like?"

"Goldenlocks and the three bears."

Sebastian selected the book from the shelf and, sitting on the floor next to the cot, began to read aloud. His deep voice calmed Ciel and halfway through the book, the baby's snores could be heard.

' _How silly_ ,' thought Sebastian, closing the book. He stood up and looked down at the sleeping Ciel. The child wasn't that bad, he supposed. A little messy, and troublesome at times, but all in all, the sweetest child Sebastian had ever come across.

The demon firmly reminded himself of his motives. Everything he was doing was for Vincent's sake. He didn't care an inch for this disgusting little brat of a human.

Or did he?

' _No_ ,' thought Sebastian, as he closed the door to the nursery. ' _Now…to prepare for tomorrow_ …'


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own Kuroshitsuji or these characters.**

 **~princess**

Loud cries erupted through the manor. In the nursery, Ciel Phantomhive was squirming in his bed, tears cascading down his pale cheeks. His face was a picture of distress and he thrashed desperately, trying to escape some invisible torture.

Sebastian Michaelis, who was playing with the cats in his bedroom, heard the familiar cries. This time, it was up to him to deal with the child. Shoving the cats into his wardrobe, he slipped on his shoes and tailcoat and hurried to the nursery.

He stared wide eyed at the terrified child. He had no idea how to deal with something like this, and he didn't want to.

Hesitantly lifting Ciel out of his cot, he shook the baby awake. "Young master!"

Ciel opened his teary, bloodshot blue eyes. The first thing that came into his four year old mind was that these weren't his father's arms, and he squirmed fearfully. "Daddy!" he sobbed, twisting around in Sebastian's hold.

"Shhh, little one…it's Sebastian, the butler." Sebastian soothed the panicked child, cradling his head and stroking his hair.

Ciel sniffled, staring up at Sebastian. "Sebastan?" he gurgled.

"Yes, it's me," assured Sebastian.

He held the pitiful child at arms' length, considering just putting him back in the cot and going back to his cats. Ciel had been nice enough during the day. Just a playful, typical little boy. But this? Sebastian wasn't prepared for anything like this.

His demonic instincts were telling him to simply leave the child to calm down on his own. But _something_ \- and it wasn't Vincent's orders- was telling him to comfort this distressed toddler.

Ciel started to cry again. Ignoring his inner battle with himself, Sebastian listened to the stronger voice and brought the little boy closer to him, hugging him tightly. "There, there…you're all right, you're safe."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Ciel pressed close to Sebastian, wrapping his arms around the butler's neck as he held on tightly. Sniffling dolefully, he began to forget his nightmare. Sebastian was nice. He was safe with Sebastian.

Relieved when he felt Ciel begin to relax, Sebastian leaned down to put him back in the cot. Ciel cried out and clung onto him. "No!"

Sebastian straightened up. "What is it, young master?"

"Don't leave me," whimpered Ciel, clutching Sebastian's tie with one small hand.

Sebastian didn't know what to do. Perhaps he should take the baby to his room. Sebastian had a proper bed, although he didn't use it often. Maybe Ciel would fall asleep with Sebastian close by.

Rocking Ciel gently as he walked, Sebastian went to his room. Ciel's breathing was shallow and shaky, and Sebastian could hear the boy still crying a little. He stroked Ciel's hair, desperate to calm the child.

When they arrived in Sebastian's room, Sebastian removed his tailcoat and shoes. He then crawled onto the large bed, leaning against the headboard and sitting Ciel on his lap.

Ciel turned to face Sebastian and buried his face in the demon's stomach, gripping Sebastian's shirt tightly as he cried silently. Sebastian tilted the baby's chin upwards so he could see his face, then gently used his thumb to wipe the tears away.

"Calm down, now," murmured Sebastian, gently rubbing Ciel's back.

After a few moments, Ciel had gotten his breathing under control. He leaned back and childishly grabbed Sebastian's large hand, holding it with both of his as he sniffled and looked up at the butler. "Had bad dream," he mumbled.

"It's only a dream," reassured Sebastian. "There's no one here to hurt you. And anyway, I wouldn't allow it."

Ciel raised his teary blue eyes to Sebastian's red ones. "You wouldn't?"

"Of course not. What kind of a butler would I be if I couldn't protect a tiny child such as yourself?" Sebastian teased Ciel playfully.

"What if a lot of people come? And they're all really strong?" Ciel sounded curious.

"I'm really strong," Sebastian told him. "Stronger than any human in the world."

Ciel giggled. He thought Sebastian was joking. "Are you stronger than my daddy?"

"Oh, yes."

"Are you stronger than me?" Ciel smiled at Sebastian adorably.

Sebastian pretended to think. "Hmmm…I don't think so. You're a little too strong for me."

Ciel giggled again. He then turned his head and gazed at the room. "Is this your room?"

"Yes."

"You don't have a lot of things in it," observed the child.

"I don't need anything. I'm just the butler."

"Butlers need to have fun, too. If you want I can give you some of my toys!" Ciel smiled at Sebastian happily.

Sebastian chuckled. "I think I'll be fine, but thank you very much for the offer."

Ciel continued to stare around the room and Sebastian sat peacefully, feeling the warm weight of the child on his lap.

"I always thought you were a bit scary," suddenly admitted Ciel, turning to face Sebastian again and once more taking the demon's hand, holding it like a toy. He gazed at Sebastian for a few moments, his big blue eyes burning with curiosity. "But you're not," he continued. "You're nice, Sebastian."

Sebastian smiled. "Thank you. I am so pleased."

"Will I still see you when daddy comes home?" asked Ciel, abandoning Sebastian's hand in favour of his tie, running his tiny fingers over the fabric.

"If your father doesn't mind," replied Sebastian. ' _No, no, of course not! Why did I say that? This sweet- no, no he isn't- child won't see me anymore when my master is back_.'

"I'll ask daddy if I can play with you sometimes," said Ciel happily.

' _I hope my master says yes! I'm growing quite fond of this nice child. No, Sebastian, snap out of it! This is a disgusting, bratty child. You want to spend as little time with him as possible. But I'll miss him! No, you won't. But I'm starting to like him_ -'

Sebastian was interrupted from his thoughts by Ciel's yawns. He looked down to see the baby snuggling into him, clutching onto his shirt as he closed his eyes.

Relieved that he was going back to sleep, Sebastian very gently lifted Ciel, cradling him in his arms. He held the child protectively.

"It's all right, little one…go to sleep…"


	4. Chapter 4

**Apart from the first chapter, this is probably my favourite XD**

 **I really struggled with the ending, trying to find the perfect last sentence. Hope it's okay!**

 **Thanks for the all the reviews, guys! Promocat- you're right! Is Sebby now completely won over? ;-)**

 **SweetWritingIsMyLife- happy to see you here from my other stories! I'm glad you could enjoy this, my stories are all just full of fluff so you don't necessarily need to know the characters. :-D**

 **This is the final chapter! :-( but I really like this whole idea. I'm thinking of doing something else with this- maybe I could write a sequel where Ciel is a little older, and show how their relationship developed? Idk. I also thought that maybe after Sebastian ate Vincent's soul, he felt bad for Ciel who was alone and came back to be his butler still and basically raised him. Just my random thoughts.**

 **I don't own Kuroshitsuji or these characters.**

 **Enough of my blabbing!**

 **~princess**

The next morning, Sebastian had to go food shopping in the town. He decided to take Ciel, as he couldn't trust the three servants with the child.

So, he went to the nursery- as he had taken Ciel back to his cot when the boy had fallen asleep- and woke the child up, recoiling in horror at the smell.

Ciel began to cry as soon as he was awoken, no doubt due to the uncomfortable, sticky mess he had been sleeping in. A large yellow stain covered the sheets, and the baby's sleepshirt was soaked.

"Oh dear…you appear to have had an accident, young master," sighed Sebastian, whipping the sheet off the bed and tossing it into the laundry basket. He also removed Ciel's sleepshirt.

He then dipped a cloth in warm water, squeezed it and, lying Ciel down a mat, wiped the baby's genitals and bottom clean. Ciel squirmed and whined, and Sebastian couldn't say he was enjoying it much, either. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, the demon then dried the child with a cotton cloth before selecting some smart clothes and dressing him.

"I apologise, young master," said Sebastian, as he buttoned up the pale blue shirt. "It seems that I forgot to supply you with a nappy last night."

Ciel sniffed. "I don't like them anyway."

"Now, today you are to accompany me to town," said Sebastian, as he spoon-fed the child his porridge. "We're going shopping."

"I don't want to," said Ciel, slurping the porridge from the spoon and causing Sebastian to grimace.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice," said the butler firmly, taking the bowl away. "If you're good, you can play when we get home."

"And you'll play with me?" Ciel tugged on Sebastian's sleeve, gazing pleadingly up at the man.

"Of course," assured Sebastian, kneeling down and lifting Ciel, holding the child in his arms as he left the nursery and walked outside to the carriage. "Now, let's get going, hmm?"

He shifted Ciel to his hip and opened the door with his free hand. He placed the child on the seat and ensured that he was comfortable before closing the door and taking his place at the front.

 _Fifteen minutes later:_

Sebastian climbed down from his seat and walked round the carriage to open the door. Ciel had fallen asleep, and Sebastian smiled softly.

"Wake up, young master. We're here," he murmured, picking Ciel up and shaking the baby gently. Ciel's large blue eyes fluttered open, and he shivered and snuggled into Sebastian, who was wearing a large black coat.

Sebastian closed the door and started to walk down the street. It was a strange sight- the tall, handsome butler holding a cute little child.

"What a pretty little thing! Is he yours?" gushed a young woman, stopping Sebastian.

"No," said Sebastian politely.

Oblivious, Ciel yawned, showing his pink gums and gaps in his teeth. He then relaxed, his head drooping against Sebastian's shoulder.

The woman squealed in adoration and Ciel's head shot up, his blue eyes filling with tears and his grip on Sebastian tightening. Sensing the child's distress, Sebastian hoisted him up a little and spoke sternly to the woman.

"If you don't mind, we'll be on our way."

After a few minutes, Ciel grew restless. He tugged on Sebastian's tie and the demon glanced down. "Hmm?"

"Sebastan, can you put me down?" asked Ciel, as Sebastian leaned his head down to hear.

"Of course," answered the butler, bending down and placing Ciel on his feet.

Ciel hurried to keep up with Sebastian's big strides; with a sigh, Sebastian slowed down, a small smile on his face.

When they reached the city centre Ciel shied away from the large crowd of people, reaching for Sebastian's hand and holding on tightly.

"Are you all right down there, young master?" asked Sebastian, gently squeezing Ciel's tiny hand that was completely encased in his own.

"Mm," was the only answer he received as Ciel bashfully pressed as close as he could to Sebastian.

The shops they needed to visit were the green grocer's, the baker's and the butcher's. Ciel was troublesome in all three.

In the green grocer's, as Sebastian was getting the vegetables weighed, Ciel discretely tugged his hand free of the butler's and wandered off inquisitively, poking his childish fingers at the fruit and vegetables. Sebastian didn't notice until after he had paid for the vegetables; then, he looked down at his side and did a double take, turning to scan the shop for Ciel. Spotting the mischievous child over by the mushrooms, he strode across the shop and picked him crossly. Ciel squeaked in surprise as his feet suddenly left the ground and his head was thrust over Sebastian's shoulder, his chin resting on it.

"Young master, I must ask you not to do that again," said Sebastian firmly. "Or we don't play when we get home."

Ciel pouted.

"And look, you've damaged these mushrooms," scolded Sebastian, pointing to the deformed vegetables. "I shall have to buy them now, and guess who's going to be eating them in their dinner tonight?"

"Me?" said Ciel, meekly.

"You guessed correctly," said Sebastian, handing over some extra money and shoving the mushrooms into his bag.

Upon leaving the little shop, Sebastian leaned down to put Ciel back on his feet and immediately took firm hold of the child's hand.

The next stop was the butcher's. While Sebastian was paying for the meat, Ciel obediently stayed close to his side. As the child gazed at the sides of beef hanging from the ceiling hooks, his nose twitched unbearably and he suddenly sneezed, the force of the sneeze causing him to stumble into Sebastian.

Sebastian felt the little weight against his legs but thought nothing of it. When he had finished paying and turned to go, Ciel began having a full on sneezing fit. His sneezes were adorable, like a little kitten mewing, but Sebastian became concerned when sneeze after sneeze erupted from his young master and showed no signs of stopping.

"Young master, what is happening?" Sebastian led Ciel to a corner of the shop and leaned down to his eye level, his own red eyes wide with worry.

"Get me out of h- achoo! - here!" sniffled Ciel. "My allergies- achoo!"

At first Sebastian was confused, but he quickly glanced up and realised that the entire floor of the shop was covered in fresh sawdust. Both his master and Ciel were allergic to cats. It made sense that they would be allergic to something like sawdust, too.

He picked his young master up and hurried out of the shop. Once they were out in the fresh air, Ciel's little button nose stopped twitching and he slumped against Sebastian, exhausted.

Sebastian sighed and shifted Ciel to his hip, holding all the bags in one hand. "We just have to go to the baker's now, young master. Are you all right?"

Ciel nodded, snuggling into Sebastian's warm coat. Hopefully the child would fall asleep, then he wouldn't cause any more trouble.

However, it was the baker's wife who served them, and she loved babies and small children. She cooed loudly over Ciel and the child was rudely awoken from his doze. Annoyed to see a woman squealing at him for the second time that day, the baby started to fuss in Sebastian's arms, crying and throwing a mini tantrum.

"I apologise, he's a little tired," said Sebastian quickly, not wanting Ciel to start screaming and wailing in the shop. He bounced the child gently in his arm as he paid for the bread but this only upset Ciel further, and before anyone saw it coming he had thrown up.

All over Sebastian, the bread on the counter and the floor.

Seeing the helpless look on Sebastian's face, the baker's wife immediately set to cleaning up the counter and disposing of the bread. She told an apprentice to begin mopping the floor, and spoke kindly to Sebastian. "There's a water tap outside and some cloths on the table, go and clean up the baby."

Her kindness didn't extend to not charging him for the spoiled bread and after Sebastian had paid extra for the second time that day, he grabbed a cloth and made his way outside, a sobbing Ciel in his arms.

"There, there, little one," he sighed as he dampened the cloth and cleaned up Ciel's face. "Don't cry." He picked up a dry cloth and gently wiped Ciel's tears. The child's sobbing decreased to sniffles and hiccups, and Sebastian stroked his hair soothingly before washing his shirt and coat.

"What an eventful trip," groaned the demon, lifting Ciel up and looking at him ruefully. He frowned as Ciel's curious blue eyes moved to his black hair, and he reached out with his tiny fingers, giggling as he grabbed a thick strand of it.

"That's enough, please." Sebastian firmly removed his hair from the baby's grasp. "I know it's getting quite long at the front, I don't need you to remind me."

Ciel gazed at him unblinkingly and Sebastian sighed. "Oh, what am I doing, talking to a four year old human? You were quite conversational last night, young master. Am I getting the silent treatment now? Or do you just not know what I'm saying?"

Ciel blinked and yawned slowly, then shoved his thumb in his mouth, never breaking eye contact with the butler.

"Then again, I don't suppose you know what conversational means, do you?" Sebastian was beginning to feel a little foolish.

Ciel removed his thumb from his mouth and Sebastian flinched when saliva dripped from the child's thumb to his coat. "Sowwy," murmured Ciel.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"I was naughty." Ciel gazed eagerly at Sebastian, proud that he had apologised.

"Yes, you were," agreed Sebastian, hoisting Ciel up a little. "But I keep forgetting how young you are, little one. Perhaps I ask too much of you."

"Please can I buy some sweets?" asked Ciel, with an adorable smile.

"Talk about a short attention span," muttered Sebastian. Out loud, he said, "I'm afraid not, young master. After you've just been sick, I think it may not be the best idea."

"Please?" The child's deep blue eyes were staring at him again. A trace of a smile still remained on his adorably round face. It was too much, even for a demon.

Sebastian gave in, and visited the sweet shop. He was horrified at himself when he handed over a handful of money in return for a bag of strawberry bon bons, but the overjoyed grin on Ciel's face made it all worth it.

It was official. Sebastian didn't hate children.

All right, most of them still irritated him to some degree. But this tiny, playful, adorable one who was currently falling asleep snuggled in his arms, face buried in his shoulder as he clung onto his bag of sweets with one little hand and Sebastian's coat with the other?

No, he didn't mind Ciel. Actually, you might say that he liked him. Was fond of him, even.

 _Later, at home:_

Sebastian closed the door of the carriage and secured his hold on Ciel, cuddling the child to keep him warm as he walked to the door of the manor. Ciel had woken up now, and was happy to be home.

To Sebastian's shock, the door was opened by Vincent.

"Daddy!" said Ciel joyfully, holding out his arms and straining forward in Sebastian's hold. Glumly, Sebastian stood back as Vincent hugged Ciel, then placed him on his feet.

"You're back early, master," said Sebastian, bowing to Vincent.

"It turned out to be quite a silly case. Solved it overnight," said Vincent. "Make me a cup of tea, Sebastian." He laughed as Ciel grabbed his hand excitedly. "I'll be in the nursery with this one. I've missed playing with him. I trust he was all right?"

Sebastian nodded, and turned to go to the kitchen. What was this feeling? Envy? Disappointment? But why? Just yesterday he been wishing for Vincent's return.

He was distracted from his thoughts by something tugging on his tailcoat, and he glanced down to see Ciel gazing up at him. "Hmm?"

"Sebastan has to play, too!" Gripping the butler's tailcoat, Ciel looked pleadingly at his father. "Please, daddy? I love Sebastan, too. I want him to play with us."

 _From then on, Vincent wasn't the only one who took care of Ciel._


End file.
